From the Author of the Hall of Fame Dynasty Change! The Charlotte Bobcats, Hall of Fame Association Road To Glory, and it's ongoing sequel, the runner up of the 2010 Association of the Year award - Road To Glory II. Here is a story of the NBA's expansion into New Zealand as orchestrated by a 20 year old billionaire, follow it, and you will not be let down.

Author's note: I know I started this one ages ago, but the reason why I started a new thread now and restarted this is because the pc patch is finally here, but since I'll be using a more up to date, and hence different set of rosters, all the dispersal and expansion draft things will have to be done again and I just think it's much neater if I simply started a new one than to try and edit the updated story onto my old thread.

and of course...

※ I'm keeping Road to Glory II alive, for now and at least for another season

All eyes and ears in Memphis were focused upon the empty podium of the sudden press conference by Grizzlies Owner Michael Heisley. As seconds ticked away on the clock, beads of sweat began tickling down the faces of many Grizzlies fans. Afterall, Heisley had said that it was a very important announcement for the city of Memphis and the Grizzlies franchise.

After what seemed like an eternity, the 71 year old billionaire Grizzlies owner finally appeared from a limo. Dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, Heisley walked past the crowd of media and onto the podium, as he sat down, his Rolex Datejust Diamond-clad watch gleamed in the sunlight. After the spokesperson made the introductions, Heisley gave an all-important-cough and began his well prepared speech, from a script written well before the occasion.

"....and so, due to the above reasons; from this day henceforth the Memphis Grizzlies will cease all operations. Before the protests come in, let it be know that you are the cause of this outcome. As you have failed on numerous occasions to purchase tickets and goods, we have fallen into financial difficulties. You are the people responsable for this and you can go fuck yourself." Almost on cue, Heisley flipped up the middle finger towards the camera, holding the pose for a few seconds before standing up to leave, his ridiculously expensive watch sparkled in mockery as he does so "I got nothing else to say, this is farewell, Memphis"

Roars of disbelief and anger filled the streets, but there was nothing they can do as Heisley has left the city, for good.

✧✧✧✧✧

David Stern sat in silence at his luxurious office. His league, no, his Kingdom had just lost one of it's 30 pieces, which means less revenue for commissioner Stern, or as he calls himself, King Stern. It had been three days since the announcement was made and he could not think of a solution out of this. For once, his herd of underlings fails to deliver what the lord of the NBA wants.

"Honorable sir, you have a request for an urgent meeting" Stern's 60 year old, 250 pound secretary bowed at the door as she made the announcement"Who is it?""I don't know sir, he only insisted on the fact that it was urgent"Stern sighed, he was not in the mood for visitors "...send him in then" After another bow, the secretary walked off, Stern turned and looked out the window at the beautiful sea view.

Just as he gazed into the distance, wondering what the day will bring, a sound at the door snapped him back to reality "Ahem" Stern turned around at the owner of the sound, it was a young asian man who stood six foot one inches in his crisp new suit and freshly highlighted medium length hair. Stern measured him from top to bottom, but a name could not register."Who might you be?" Stern asked abruptly, before the young man could speak."Well, my name is Leo Lai." the man replied "I am 20 and I'm from New Zealand""20...Excuse me, but why are you here? In case you don't know, you don't make applications for the NBA Draft here" snapped Stern, resentment building up quickly at his time seemingly being wasted"Draft?" Lai repeated with a laugh "No, I'm not here for the draft. I'm here with a proposal"Now Stern was somewhat intrigued, but annoyance still rang within him "What proposal? I'm a very busy person you know? Make it quick"

Lai smiled, strolled around the office and examined little figures and decorations around the posh office. He could feel Stern's eyes gazing into his back as he moved. Finally, he paused."What about, a new NBA team?" Lai turned around and popped the questionFlabbergasted, Stern bursted out inspite of himself "What?""I said, how about a new team for your league?" Lai replied with a smirk "My team, if you will""You are kidding me, right?" Stern laughed at last "You are 20, and you say you have enough money to run an NBA team? You can't even afford the salary of the worse player in the D-League!""If you want proof, I could get signatured proof of how much money I got" still smirking, Lai stated calmly "lets just say that there are about...nine zeros or so in my bank account?"At this, Stern fell into his chair, but a huge grin broke on his face "You are serious, yes? and you want a NBA franchise?""Of course" Lai replied firmly "Why else would I be here"Stern couldn't believe his luck "Well, you have it, an expansion franchise; Excuse me for a second sir, and do take a seat" he motioned for Lai to sit down as he dialed up his secretary "Get me a press conference, my Kingdom is saved"

"So, lets talk specifics shall we?"

Last edited by Valor on Wed Feb 16, 2011 6:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.

"So, now that you understand the expansion draft rules, lets get into details about the team" Stern choursed happily "May I suggest possible, and very attractive locations include the beautiful KeyArena where the former Seattle Sonics Franchise was based at?"

Lai shook his head, It's amazing how fast these guys change their tones He thought to himself, smirking a little as he replied Stern "It's a nice suggestion, but no thanks""Well, how about filling in the void over at Memphis?" Stern was relentless, he wants a feel-good story so sales and attention will go up "The people will embrace you!""There is a reason why the team went broke" stated Lai firmly "I've got plans made already, no suggestions needed"Stern was taken aback, but his curiosity never waned as he pressed on "So...where are you planning to base your team in?"

"Well, if you must know...." Lai grinned as he told his plans to the commissionerStern listened, wild-eyed as he took in what the young to-be-owner of the new NBA franchise had just relayed to him "Are you insane? That's absurd!" The commissioner yelled out inspite of himselfLai laughed it off "No, it isn't. I believe it would work great" "What about...an arena? Don't you need time to..." Stern began one of his numerous questions that just popped out in his brain, it was surely going to burst any moment now, but his question was stopped mid-sentence by the wave of Lai's hand"It's already been done" Lai stated "All the preparation has been done for a long while now"

A moment of silence rang through the room as Stern took in Lai's words, and he finally understood. All along, he was never in the position of power in this meeting, he was simply a puppet that had been dancing according to the young man's commands; and like a puppet to the bone, there is no way he can defy the puppeteers' will.

"Alright, do as you say"

✧✧✧✧✧

"Welcome to the press conference of Leo Lai, the owner of the new NBA expansion franchise that will replace the defuncted Memphis Grizzlies" A league spokesperson began the well rehearsed introductory lines "Today will be the day, in which the chosen location of the new team will be announced by Mr Lai."He paused, allowing the audience to finish their applause for the 20 year old Asian billionaire sitting on the podium."Later on today will include the 2010 Expansion Draft for the said team, and without further adieu, here is NBA commissioner David Stern, with his remarks on the matter"

As Stern went through yet another astonishingly boring speech, reporters around the room were quickly taking photographs and writing down possible questions for the new owner, there was a real buzz around the room as to exactly where this young man was going to base the team in. Rumor has it that he will move the team to Chicago, where his favorite team - The Chicago Bulls play in, some say that he'll bring the Sonics back with a housing in Seattle. There are a lot of unknowns, but one is known.

The team will definitely not play in Memphis.

"....so for these reasons, I thank Mr Lai for his enthusiastic and wonderful involvement in this process, and I hereby congratulate him for becoming a member of the NBA family today" Stern concluded his speech at last, shaking hands with Lai"Mr Lai will be opened for some general questions before revealing the chosen location" the spokesperson announced

"Morning Mr Lai, Peter Freeman from NBC here; There had been many rumors flying about as to how you have acquired so much wealth at your relatively young age, any comments or insights into that?"Lai laughed "No, I have no comments except that most of those rumors are laughable. I can't imagine how such ideas come to people's minds.""Michelle Palmer, ESPN; Mr Lai, the protected players list came out just yesterday and you do not have a GM or coach in place at the moment, how do you plan to approach this expansion draft?""Well, I guess it would be appropriate to announce that I will act as the team's president of basketball operations and oversee every decision related to basketball activity." Lai replied, much to the wonders of the journalists present, who scribbled furiously at this intriguing news item "As for the team's coach, I already have a candidate lined up and ready to go"

"And of course, now it's the moment you've all been waiting for isn't it?" "The newest NBA team, will have a historical breakthrough as they will be stationed in a country outside the United States of America." Lai stated boldly, to the collective gasp of every single individual in the room "This country embodies the tradition of sport. It is also a country, and a place, that raised me and made me into who I am today."

Lai paused for the dramatic effect, he loved these moments "The 2010 NBA Expansion Team will find it's home in the beautiful country of New Zealand"

The newest NBA expansion team (name pending) has announced the signing of New Zealand native star and Tall Blacks captain Kirk Penney.

Standing at 6'5", Penney is a sharpshooting guard who recently came off impressive showings at the 2010 FIBA World Championships.His 24.7 ppg scoring average ranked second in the competition.

Penney has represented the Tall Blacks in numerous international competitions, including the 2004 Olympics in Athens and 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

The Kiwi native has had brief stints in the NBA with the Miami Heat and the L.A. Clippers in 2004 appearing in six games. Penney has most recently been cut by the San Antonio Spurs afterbeing invited to their training camp roster.

"It's just unbelievable, my dream was to make it to the NBA," Penney said "To think that I'll be able do that and play in my home country at the same time, amazing"

The deal is believed to be a two year deal worth a total of $1.62 million, the second year has ateam option attached.

Penney has selected #6 as his jersey number. He wears the same number for the Tall Blacks.

New Zealand, Sean Marks, agree upon deal

The latest expansion team in the NBA is stocking up on Kiwis as the signing of Kiwi Center Sean Markshas been announced by the team.

A 11 year veteran, Marks was the first native New Zealander to play in the NBA. Standing at 6 foot 10 inches,the 35 year old center has played for Toronto, Miami, San Antonio, Phoenix, and most recently the New Orleans Hornets.

Marks owns career averages of 3.0 points and 2.3 rebounds per game over 201 contests.

The deal is believed to be a one year deal worth approximately $915 thousand.

Smush Parker Returns to NBA via Expansion Franchise

Former Laker Smush Parker will rejoin the NBA after spending the last few seasons overseas, earning a paycheck in China and Greece.

Parker and the latest expansion team of the league has agreed upon a one year minimum deal worth approximately $500K.

Undrafted out of College, Parker was once the starting point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers under coach Phil Jackson from the 05 season onwards to the end of the 06-07 season. He has averages of 9 points and just under 3 assists per game over 274 games played.

Darko!!! Unless you make some good trades, I see a 15-win season coming for this team. Much of the roster is made up of mostly garbage time players. Good luck with the team, you're probably gonna need it.

Axel. wrote:Darko!!! Unless you make some good trades, I see a 15-win season coming for this team. Much of the roster is made up of mostly garbage time players. Good luck with the team, you're probably gonna need it.

Yeah it looks that way right now, lets see if i can get anything good done

Badger wrote:Hey, you needed to pick Maurice Evans!

Opps, forgot about him...damn

z02 wrote:Jared Dudley?

Oh man, there were so many good players out there?

Sorry about the lack of activities here guys, I just moved to Sydney and settled into my new place so it's gonna take some time before i can get back into NLSC activities agian

As Leo Lai began his trip down the isle towards the center podium prepared inside Eden Park, he can't help but feel a little nervous about what was about to take place. Butterflies began churning in his stomach, a sensation that hasn't struck him since his high school playing days. This is it, today is the day where everything will begin Lai thought to himself as he took a deep breath and took his strides onto the field.

Lai looked on from the podium, the stadium was packed and he could feel the anticipation of more than 50,000 people in the stands. All eyes were on him.Lai walked forward and approached the microphone, it was time to do it"Good Morning! Fellow Kiwis!" Lai yelled into the microphone, the crowd roared back in excitement "Today will mark the beginning of a new chapter in New Zealand sports history!""It is truly my honor today, to announce the name of your new team!"Lai paused, and allowed the deafening sound of the crowd cheering to last for a moment before continuing. "Please give it up, for your very own NBA team. The NEW ZEALAND PANTHERS!" Lai practically screamed into the microphone. The crowd, on the other hand, did not exactly scream back in approval. There were some cheers, but it was mostly boos that would rival the famous ones from New Yorkers. Lai knew that Kiwis would have been the most welcomed name, but he wanted something different, something unique, and something, that would give this team the fierce identity that they would need.

He smiled, turned and unveiled the logo behind him, and felt the crowd's displeasure lightened somewhat. He had especially put a spin on the colour theme used, veering away from the traditional black, white and silver used, to a more fierce black, white and red. Red is for blood, that's what we're after Lai thought as he pulled the microphone over once again

"Now ladies and gentleman, it is my pleasure to introduce to you, the first ever head coach of your New Zealand Panthers!" Lai paused and drew the attention of the stadium "He is a five time MVP of the New Zealand Basketball League and captained the 2006 silver medal winning Tall Blacks squad at the Commonwealth Games. Please welcome, a ten time champion of the NBL, Pero Cameron!"

On cue, Cameron appeared out of the tunnel and jogged through the field and onto the podium, he shook hands with Lai, who gave him a Panthers jersey, and took over the microphone position. As Cameron began his speech, Lai gazed around the stadium, packed with enthustic fans, cheering for their new-found team.

Lai smiled, things are working out just fine.

✧✧✧✧✧

After all the processes in the arrival and settling of the 14 players, staff and equipment imported from America, the Panthers only had a little more than a week left before the season begins. They won't be having any preseason games, and only one week's worth of training camp.

It was going to be hard work, but Lai already anticipated this in his planning process. What he didn't anticipate, was how out of shape one his center Eddy Curry is. In addition to the strained hamstring that Curry has, the physical that every player took revealed his shocking weight of over 350 pounds. Lai did not believe it at first, but when the trainers showed him the data, he could only stare in disgust. So as he walked towards the training facility, he could already envision what he was going to see.

"CURRY, WOULD YOU RUN, OR AT LEAST JOG, INSTEAD OF WALKING IN THE PACE OF A SNAIL FOR ONCE!?" Cameron's yells was the first thing Lai hears as he walked onto the practice court "SCAL! STOP SHOWING OFF YOUR RING AND START PRACTICING!"Lai watched for a while before walking up to his head coach for a conversation"How's the team doing?" Lai asked carefully"See for yourself, these guys are going to be trashed the first game we play" Cameron was grim "We need better players, right now we are as soft as pancakes""Well, we are an expansion team so can't expect much for now" frowned Lai "Just work with what you've got for now, I'll try to find some deals"

The two were chatting a bit more, but their conversation was cut short suddenly by sounds of scuffling on the floor."WHAT THE FUCK !?" It was Darko Milicic, apparently upset at fellow big man Reggie Evans "You fucking grabbed my nuts for what!?""Yo chill, not like I ripped them off" Evans was apparently laughing "Man, you have small balls""YOU CUNT, PUSSY! YOU THINK YOU ARE IMPORTANT?!" Darko was being restrained by his teammates "I'LL FUCK YOUR MOTHER'S CUNTS! YOU CAN SUCK MY COCK!"At this point Evans backed off, and Milicic was restrained by training staff who have just arrived on the scene, but Darko was still shouting as he was being pushed back "I'LL FUCK YOUR MOTHER IN THE MOUTH! YOUR DAUGHTER TOO!"

Lai watched all of this unfold and shook his head, Not exactly the best of starts, huh

It was a significant day for the NBA, and in particular, the brand new expansion team that is to be based in Auckland, New Zealand.

The team announced "Panthers" to be used as the team's name, and although that didn't exactly meet the approval of the fans, the logo design and colours certainly did.

Aside from the traditional Black and White, the Panthers have also decided to add a touch of crimson red to their colour theme.

Below are photos of the team's logo, jerseys and court.

Logo of The New Zealand Panthers

Home and away Jersey of the Panthers as worn by local star Kirk Penney

Panthers announce Head Coach

The New Zealand Panthers have announced the hiring of former Tall Blacks captain and local favorite Pero Cameron as the team's first ever head coach.

Cameron (36), is a ten time champion (one as coach) and five time MVP of New Zealand's National Basketball League in his 16 year playing career, he was named coach of the year in his first year coaching withthe Wellington Saints and is a silver medalist in the Commonwealth games as the captain of the Tall Blacks.

Coaching at this level, however, will be completely new to Cameron and he'll better adjust quickly if the talent depleted expansion franchise is toevade the worse season in NBA history in their debut season.

When you have a chance to acquire a player that is capable of being the best player on the floor on most nights, and in the conversation on the others, you simply have to do it.

The universal consensus over the past few years has been that in order to win the Finals, or even to get deep into the playoffs, a team must have at least two of the absolute best players in the NBA.

Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire have their deficiencies that prevent them from consistently being top-five players in the entire NBA, but they are each generally top-15 players and each has the capacity to outplay their counterparts who are universally considered in that top-five.

The one offensive element separating Anthony from Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, who are the two best all-around wings in the game is as a passer. Anthony's assist rate has typically been half as high as Wade and LeBron despite having the ball in his hands with as much frequency. LeBron and Wade also give a more consistent effort defensively, though I expect that to change for Anthony with New York (at least for home games).

But Anthony is a better pure scorer than LeBron and should have significantly more NBA minutes remaining in his career in comparison to Wade. Carmelo uses his athleticism in a way that is more Muhammad Ali than Bo Jackson and because he already is a gifted scorer in the post, he should perform at relatively the same level as where he is today for another six or seven seasons.

The ancillary benefit of having Anthony and Amar'e on the floor together is the freedom that is created for New York's other scorers because of how difficult those two players are to cover without double-teams.

The Seven Seconds or Less system is all about finding the first open shot available and if they can acquire the right blend of spot-up shooters who can defend and rebound to go with Anthony and Amar'e, their potential will be maximized and this should be a team that ranks in the top three or four in points scored per 100 possessions on a consistent basis.

But the Knicks already rank eighth in this category, but just 20th in defense. Teams that compete for titles typically need to at least be in the top-10 in both areas, otherwise the deficiency is too easily exploitable in a seven-game series against those high quality teams.

Now that the two-star formula has been squared away for the Knicks in just a matter of eight months after striking out on LeBron, the remainder of their roster is problematic.

After dealing Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, Wilson Chandler for Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter, Renaldo Balkman and Corey Brewer, the Knicks have considerably less depth in the present and less assets to acquire functional players in the future.

For the sake of sorting through one thing at a time, let's assume the Knicks are able to plug some holes with the likes of Earl Barron and move on to the key components.

One of the key elements from New York's perspective is how things compare between Billups and Felton.

Felton is having the finest season of his career and enjoyed a sizable bump playing in SSoL, and with Stoudemire as his pick-and-roll partner. But Felton also tailed off from his excellent shooting in the beginning of the season, hitting 36.7% of his three-point attempts and 47.5% from the field in November down to a three-point/field goal split of 29.0% and 37.3% in January.

Billups, on the other hand, has shot 44.1% from distance this season and only one season below 38.5% since becoming a regular a decade ago.

With Anthony and Amar'e dominating the ball around the bucket, floor-spreading shooting is essential and Billups is the better shooter without question.

Billups also is the better pick-and-roll player, makes better decisions in transition (particularly with controlling tempo) and also can exploit occasional mismatches in the post, which is not part of Felton's game whatsoever.

Defensively, neither player is very effective at this point in their careers, but I think there is a greater inherent trust in Billups, though Felton's younger legs would be preferred against the likes of Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo.

By nearly every metric, Billups is the better player right now and particularly improves New York's chances in the playoffs where his pedigree is self-explanatory.

The only drawback is present continuity and that Billups is almost certainly a rental over the next 16 months. We will need to see where the salary cap goes for 2012 when Chris Paul and Deron Williams become free agents and if it is not promising for New York, finding a long-term solution at point guard becomes an absolute imperative that becomes difficult. The center position is also an area where they will need to get lucky as they did with Landry Fields, and Mozgov (who was signed as a free agent). Stoudemire is much more effective at power forward and that also ensure Anthony remains a big small forward instead of a small power forward.

The Knicks are in a similar situation in the middle of the season that the Heat faced after acquiring LeBron and Chris Bosh, as over-30 veteran minimums are needed to fill out the roster. New York has to hope for a veteran buyout at center, or perhaps get lucky with a 10-day contract D-League player.

The Knicks aren't expecting anything out of Williams, Balkman and Carter, but the addition of Brewer has some promise. Wing players with athleticism and anything resembling a decent jumper have historically thrived with D'Antoni and perhaps that formula could work with Brewer since he will receive consistent minutes backing up Fields.

Pragmatically speaking, the key losses for the Knicks are Gallinari and Mozgov.

Chandler has blossomed into a nice player, but they would have been unable to keep him this summer if they would have been forced to sign Anthony outright. Felton had a nice 50-game run with the Knicks, but he knew what he was getting into when he signed a two-year contract.

Gallinari has been a better perimeter shooter than expected when he was drafted sixth overall in the 2008 NBA Draft. His rookie season was almost lost entirely due to a back injury, but he has been durable ever since and has shown some glimpses of the playmaking off the dribble that made him such a highly coveted prospect in the first place. In a rebuilding situation where his usage increases and he gets to play off the dribble, Gallinari has the potential to become the kind of player that can average 20 points, three assists and six rebounds per 36 minutes.

Mozgov is the great unknown of the trade and was the sticking point over the final 24 hours of negotiations. He already is a serviceable center with his ability on the offensive glass and shotblocking, plus he has considerable room for improvement. His inclusion wasn't something that should have been a deal-breaker for either side and clearly the Knicks weren't prepared to wait Denver out.

Anthony gets to play for the team he strongly preferred all along and he also gets his extension. From those two vantage points in a vacuum, he is a big winner.

But he could have quite easily given the Knicks considerably more leverage by being more transparent in his absolute reluctance to sign an extension with the Nets. The deal made by the Knicks isn't an outright bloodbath, but they are trading away considerably more than what would have been necessary otherwise.

On Sunday after the All-Star Game, Anthony told me he wasn't "mad at Denver for asking for everything and the kitchen sink". Less than 24 hours later, the Nuggets pretty much received the kitchen sink.

In terms of trading away assets, the only players of consequence the Knicks didn't trade were Stoudemire and Fields. Considering they could have signed Anthony outright as soon as the offseason begins (after the CBA is agreed upon), the price they paid has to be classified as steep. But it was also a price that has to be classified as ultimately worth it.

Regardless of what one might think about Latrell Sprewell, Stephon Marbury or Allan Houston, the Knicks unquestionably now have their best player and second best player (however you want to rate them) since Patrick Ewing.

Grade for Knicks: B-

The Nuggets had very little leverage in this entire situation and have been saved by labor uncertainty, so David Stern's quest for greater NBA parity has its first winner.

Dealing with the Nuggets over the past few months, by all accounts, has been a grueling process with the front office consistently changing the finish line on their trade partners. They played the media very well, consistently stirring up the Nets and even bringing in the Lakers as innocent bystanders.

The package of Gallinari, Mozgov and Chandler lacks the potential for star power that Derrick Favors would have yielded, but these are multiple players worth considering as members of your core moving forward, or to be packaged in other moves.

It appears as though Felton (and possibly Mozgov) will be flipped in a side trade, so the Nuggets have several more steps ahead of them before their true trajectory becomes clear, but this is an excellent first step.

They may extend Nene, which would be a wise move since centers still in their twenties that can score as well as he can are extremely valuable. A trio of Ty Lawson, Nene and Gallinari could win 30 games per season until they are able to find an elite scorer to truly replace Anthony, but keeping Gallinari appears unlikely.

If Anthony were two years away from free agency, the return would have undeniably been much better but this is about as good as humanly possible considering the circumstances. But the Nuggets also were a few days away from going down the summer sign-and-trade route that only nets a TPE and a future pick or two.

Furthermore, the financial savings Denver receives is enormous because they were able to send out so much salary without needing to absorb the contract of Curry. Between the savings in salary and luxury tax, the Kroenke family is very happy that this trade was consummated in this way. Stan Kroenke has that Wal-Mart and real estate money, plus Arsenal, so he's had plenty of very profitable days in his lifetime already, but this is about as good as it gets from a sports perspective short of selling a team outright or signing a $3 billion television deal as the Lakers did last week.

Grade for Nuggets: A

Despite a limited NBA resume, Anthony Randolph is one of the more enigmatic players we have seen in recent memory. He was stuck in Don Nelson's doghouse with the Warriors and then Mike D'Antoni's with the Knicks, but he is a unique talent with elite shotblocking capabilities and a versatile offensive game.

Similar to his acquisition of Michael Beasley last summer, David Kahn has won a trade in terms of talent acquisition even if the mental part of Randolph's game and long-term fit is questionable.

Grade for Wolves: B+

Note: Yup, 99.9% copied from realgm.com, had to put this in 'cause the rosters I'm using didn't have this trade, so I will do it before starting the association mode

Last edited by Valor on Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:49 am, edited 1 time in total.

Hey guys, since I absolutely stink at photoshop, I would like to ask for assistance in making the banner and sig for this association. It should have the name "History in the Making" in it, but other than that it's up to you. Be creative

Additionally, I would like to ask for you guys to also make me a header to use in articles, one similar to this following one but with the grizzlies icon replaced by a Panthers icon and the Chicago logo replaced by a Panthers logo, with the words New Zealand Front Office instead of Chicago Front Office.

Lastly, for my roster list I wish to have a logo that I could use, something similar to this here ----->

The main colors are black and white/silver (like the NZ fern) as well as a splash of red (same shade as the Chicago Bulls red).

Your help would be greatly appreciated, I don't really have any rewards for this but I will remember that it is you who made this association possible Note: if i decide to put in NLSCers, you will earn 5 points for each item (same system as in Road to Glory II)

The X wrote:I saw Penney play in person last Sunday. Boy can ball. Too good for NBL

What!? You are so lucky man haha, he's like my second fav player outside the NBA

Yeah, I was more or less courtside (3rd row, first 2 rows are reserved for family members & people in the know) of NZ Breakers-Gold Coast Blaze game last Sunday. Drove down an hour to the Gold Coast to watch the game. I think he went 6/7 from 3pt land, including a crossover, stepback turning 3 in some guy's face I can see why he didn't hang around in NBA, just lacked any NBA athleticism, plus he's white. He's got an NBA skill though, shooting the long ball. Was great to see him in person though.

I also came within a foot of Pero Cameron. My wife was shocked at how huge he was considering most basketballers are twigs. I am 6'2", 110kgs & she said he made me look like a weener just because he's like 6'4"/6'5" & a brick shithouse. Pero is a tank. He was actually a lot more muscly & in shape than I thought. From a distance he looks real fat but close up he's a tough SOB. Seems like a real nice guy. I thought about talking to him but thought it would've been rude to interrupt him as he was talking to someone he knew. Pero is Gold Coast's assistant coach.

Was a great game, double overtime. Penney scored like 35 points, hit 66% of his shots including 87% of his treys (6/7), so was all good

If you're living in Sydney or moving there then I'd suggest getting down to a Kings' game when the Breakers are in town

The New Jersey Nets have officially acquired two-time All Star guard Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz in exchange for guard Devin Harris, forward Derrick Favors, and cashconsiderations, Nets General Manager Billy King announced.

The Nets will also send Troy Murphy to the Warriors for Dan Gadzuric and Brandan Wright in a separate trade.

"We are very excited to add a player the caliber of Deron Williams to our roster," said King. "He is one of the premier point guards in the NBA, and his skill and talent level will bolster our franchise as we continue to build towards our goal of becoming a championship-caliber team."

The Nets had been pursuing Carmelo Anthony for several months, but Williams is not aconsolation prize from their perspective.

"This is not a plan B," Avery Johnson said. "It was just one that wasn't announced. One that nobody got -- until recently. He's not a plan B. He's a plan A also. We've been working on this for a while."

Utah recently lost head coach Jerry Sloan and now they will begin rebuilding with the Williams' trade.

“We feel that we’ve addressed a current need at point guard with Deron’s departure, as well as the future with draft picks and a big man,” said Jazz GM Kevin O’Connor. “To do so we had to give up an All-Star, but we feel like this is a win for both sides.”

“We felt we had a good opportunity to improve our ballclub by adding Kirk and Hilton,” Sund said.

“Kirk is a well-rounded player that gives us options at both guard positions. In addition to being a solidand hard-nosed defender, he is a good shooter who can also distribute the ball. His resume includes significant playoff experience as well. Hilton can play both center and power forward, and will add frontcourt depth.”

Clippers Trade Baron To Cleveland For Mo Williams

The Cavaliers and Clippers have agreed upon a trade of Mo Williams and Jamario Moon for BaronDavis, according to sources that spoke with Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

Williams is signed through the 12-13 season, though he has an early termination option for 11-12 and player option for 12-13, neither of which he's likely to utilize.

Davis is signed at a higher annual rate, but his salary for 12-13 is a partial/non-guaranteed season.

Davis signed a five-year, $65 million contract with the Clippers in the summer of 2008 in what was originally intended to be a chance for him to unite with Elton Brand.

Davis was largely ineffective in his first two seasons on a Clippers' team that had been depleted, but he came into the current season in better shape and energized by the emergence of Blake Griffin.

The Akron Beacon-Journal reports that the Cavaliers will not use their traded player exception from the LeBron James sign-and-trade to complete this deal. Sending Moon along with Williams for the contract of Davis works for Cleveland in terms of matching salaries.

Yup, another copy, paste and edit from me to get through the real life transaction...same trades except for the picks

Last edited by Valor on Thu Feb 24, 2011 10:40 pm, edited 2 times in total.

The X wrote:I saw Penney play in person last Sunday. Boy can ball. Too good for NBL

What!? You are so lucky man haha, he's like my second fav player outside the NBA

Yeah, I was more or less courtside (3rd row, first 2 rows are reserved for family members & people in the know) of NZ Breakers-Gold Coast Blaze game last Sunday. Drove down an hour to the Gold Coast to watch the game. I think he went 6/7 from 3pt land, including a crossover, stepback turning 3 in some guy's face I can see why he didn't hang around in NBA, just lacked any NBA athleticism, plus he's white. He's got an NBA skill though, shooting the long ball. Was great to see him in person though.

I also came within a foot of Pero Cameron. My wife was shocked at how huge he was considering most basketballers are twigs. I am 6'2", 110kgs & she said he made me look like a weener just because he's like 6'4"/6'5" & a brick shithouse. Pero is a tank. He was actually a lot more muscly & in shape than I thought. From a distance he looks real fat but close up he's a tough SOB. Seems like a real nice guy. I thought about talking to him but thought it would've been rude to interrupt him as he was talking to someone he knew. Pero is Gold Coast's assistant coach.

Was a great game, double overtime. Penney scored like 35 points, hit 66% of his shots including 87% of his treys (6/7), so was all good

If you're living in Sydney or moving there then I'd suggest getting down to a Kings' game when the Breakers are in town

Damn, that's just plain awesome

Yeah I'm in Sydney now for uni, if theres a chance I'll def go catch a game. Thx for the heads up X